Getae

The Getae was a Thracian tribe that inhabited the Lower Danube region in what is now northern Bulgaria and southern Romania. Their home was the settlement of Malva in the region of Dacia, and the tribe was once under the rule of the Odrysian Kingdom of Thrace; under Odrysian rule, the Getae became known for their shock cavalry. Following the death of Alexander the Great and the ensuing chaos in the Hellenic world, the Getae re-established an independent culture of their own, and they were ready to strike against former rulers and weaker neighbors. The Getae raided Thrace several times, raping the women and killing the children of the Maedi tribe, and they took advantage of Mithridates VI of Pontus' invasion of the Roman Republic to invade Thrace once more in 73 BC. Gaius Claudius Gaber's Roman legion was sent to assist the Thracians in fighting off the thousands of Getae warriors, but Gaber later decided to march against Mithridates instead, seeking glory; the Getae massacred several Maedi civilians and burnt their homes. The Roman campaign was without success, and the Getae dominated their region from 60 to 50 BC. In 29 BC, Emperor Augustus of the Roman Empire sent Marcus Licinius Crassus Dives to defeat the Bastarnae, with the Getae assisting the Romans; the Romans had promised Getic prince Rholes assistance against the Getic ruler Dapyx in exchange for his help. Rholes became the new Getic king, and an invasion by the Sarmatians was driven back with Roman assistance. In 6 AD, the Getae became Roman vassals in the province of Moesia, and the Getae would lose their independence.